Academic Journal
Q1Molecular Plant
About Molecular Plant
Molecular Plant is a scholarly journal published by Cell Press. SCImago 2025 places it in Q1 with an SJR of 7.692 and an H-index of 198.
Its listed coverage is 2008-2026 and its research categories include Molecular Biology (Q1); Plant Science (Q1). The 2025 dataset reports 196 documents and 9329 citations across the latest three-year reporting window.
Molecular Plant is a top-tier international scientific journal that focuses on publishing innovative research in the field of plant molecular biology. As one of the most respected publications in plant science, Molecular Plant serves as a valuable resource for scientists, educators, and professionals involved in plant biology, genetics, biotechnology, and agriculture.
What is Molecular Plant?
Launched in 2008, Molecular Plant is a monthly peer-reviewed journal published by Cell Press, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Society for Plant Biology. The journal is known for its high editorial standards and impactful research, covering a wide spectrum of topics related to molecular and cellular processes in plants.
It plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of how plants grow, develop, and respond to environmental challenges at the molecular level.
Core Focus Areas
Molecular Plant features research articles, reviews, commentaries, and perspectives in various areas of plant molecular biology, including:
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Gene regulation and epigenetics
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Plant development and cell biology
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Signal transduction and hormone pathways
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Plant immunity and pathogen resistance
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Plant-environment interactions
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Genome editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9)
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Systems biology and omics approaches
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Crop improvement and biotechnology
By publishing comprehensive studies and cutting-edge discoveries, the journal helps researchers gain deeper insights into how plants function at the genetic and molecular levels.
High Impact and Global Recognition
Molecular Plant has earned a reputation for excellence, consistently ranking among the top journals in plant sciences. It boasts a high impact factor (typically above 10), reflecting the quality and influence of the research it publishes. This makes it a preferred publication for leading scientists worldwide who are looking to share their work with a global audience.
Why Molecular Plant Matters
In an era where global food security and climate change are urgent concerns, understanding plant biology is more important than ever. Molecular Plant plays a critical role by providing a platform for research that leads to real-world applications—such as developing drought-resistant crops, improving crop yield, and enhancing sustainable agricultural practices.
The journal also supports open access publishing, increasing the visibility and accessibility of research findings to the broader scientific community and public.
Benefits of Publishing in Molecular Plant
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Rigorous and fair peer-review process
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High visibility and citation potential
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Wide international readership
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Opportunities for special issues and cover features
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Partnership with Cell Press ensures global reach and credibility
Journal Metrics
Metrics can change by reporting year. Verify time-sensitive values with the publisher or indexing service.
Aims & Scope
Molecular Plant is a prestigious international journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research in the rapidly evolving field of plant science. With a primary focus on molecular and cellular aspects of plant biology, the journal aims to bridge fundamental scientific discovery with practical agricultural applications. The scope of Molecular Plant is broad yet specialized, encompassing all areas of plant molecular biology, genomics, physiology, and biotechnology.
Comprehensive Scope of Molecular Plant
The journal welcomes original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and commentaries that offer novel insights into the biology of plants at the molecular level. Below is an overview of the key topics covered by Molecular Plant:
1. Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Plant publishes studies that explore gene structure, function, and regulation in plants. This includes research on:
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Gene expression and transcriptional regulation
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Functional genomics and genome annotation
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Comparative genomics of model and crop species
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Epigenetics and chromatin dynamics
2. Plant Development and Cell Biology
Understanding how plants grow and develop from a molecular and cellular perspective is central to the journal’s mission. Topics include:
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Cell differentiation and tissue patterning
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Organ development and morphogenesis
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Cytoskeletal dynamics and intracellular trafficking
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Plant stem cells and meristem function
3. Plant Signaling and Hormone Biology
Molecular Plant emphasizes research on the complex signaling pathways that regulate plant growth and response to stimuli. Areas include:
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Hormonal regulation (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, etc.)
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Signal transduction cascades
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Receptor-ligand interactions
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Crosstalk between environmental and internal cues
4. Plant-Environment Interactions
The journal encourages research that reveals how plants adapt to environmental stress. This includes:
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Abiotic stress responses (drought, heat, cold, salinity)
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Biotic interactions (pathogen defense, symbiosis)
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Molecular mechanisms of immunity
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Stress-responsive gene networks
5. Biotechnology and Crop Improvement
Research with potential applications in agriculture and biotechnology is highly valued. Topics cover:
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Genetic engineering and transformation technologies
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CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing
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Metabolic engineering
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Synthetic biology in plants
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Translational research for crop improvement
6. Systems Biology and Omics
Molecular Plant supports integrative studies using high-throughput data and computational biology. This includes:
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Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics
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Network biology and modeling
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Systems-level analysis of complex traits
Global Relevance and Innovation
With its global readership and high impact factor, Molecular Plant attracts submissions from leading scientists around the world. The journal emphasizes novelty, scientific rigor, and potential impact, ensuring the published research contributes meaningfully to the advancement of plant science.
Recent Research Articles
Latest publications matched automatically by ISSN.
A sucrose–jasmonic acid feedback loop drives stem cell senescence in Arabidopsis
Yan-die Chen, Rui Zhang, Jing Yang, Zhong Zhao et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.06.004Why is the chloroplast redox regulatory machinery so complex?
Juan M. Pérez-Ruiz, Francisco Javier Cejudo
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.09.003The domestication-associated WHP10 tandem cluster of amino acid transporter genes enhances whole-plant protein accumulation in maize
Wenhao Li, Youliang Li, Xiang Lin, Ruilin Chen et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.014Fungal endophyte evasion of plant immune system for mutual benefit: Now you see me, now you don’t
Antonio Molina, Miguel Ángel Torres, Lucía Jordá
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.010Reconstruction of ancestral plant genomes for inter-crop translational research
Cléa Siguret, Margaux Olivier, Cécile Huneau, Mamadou Dia Sow et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.06.012Molecular mimicry enables engineering of NLR immune receptors with multi-recognition
Mengyu Qu, Ya Li, Fujia Yang, Guo-Liang Wang et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.008Natural thermometers: chloroplasts as heat sensors
Jesse D. Woodson
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.09.002Dynamic shading of chloroplasts for enhanced photosynthetic efficiency
Xin-Guang Zhu, Elizabeth A. Ainsworth
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.011Integrative Regulation of Drought Escape through ABA-Dependent and -Independent Pathways in Rice
Hao Du, Fei Huang, Nai Wu, Xianghua Li et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.08.013Strigolactones constrain rice drought acclimation by suppressing ROS scavenging through the D53–OsWRKY31–ZFP36 module
Qianqian Li, Yi Wang, Jijun Yan, Liquan Kou et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.09.001High-throughput glycan array screening reveals rhamnogalacturonan-I as a ligand for Arabidopsis leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases involved in plant immunity
Du-Hwa Lee, Colin Ruprecht, Jung-Min Lee, Min-Soo Choi et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.06.005Sucrose-associated SnRK1a1-mediated phosphorylation of Opaque2 modulates endosperm filling in maize
Tao Yang, Yunqin Huang, Longyu Liao, Shanshan Wang et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.08.022Deciphering plant phenotypic plasticity with AI-powered citizen science
Zoran Nikoloski
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.020Building a stem cell niche from the outside in: Spatial architecture as a code for regeneration
Hatsune Morinaka
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.005From pan-life phase insights to PhaseHub: Analyzing protein condensate complexity
Qiyu Liang, Weibo Gao, Yansong Miao
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.019PLATO: A new benchmark for phase separation prediction
Qiyu Liang, Weibo Gao, Yansong Miao
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.015The SlbZIP30–SlbZIP51 module safeguards photosynthesis under chilling stress by coordinating nuclear transcriptional activation and chloroplast protein stabilization in tomato
Yingqi Hu, Tiantian Wang, Guanghong Zhang, Nana Ma et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.001Heat-induced methylglyoxal impairs plant thermotolerance by repressing cpHSC70-1-mediated chloroplast protein import via post-translational modification
Feng Ding, Yue-Xin Liu, Shi-Hang Fan, Wei Hua et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.06.010Dual repression of OsSnRK1β1A by the deubiquitinase OsOTUB1 orchestrates energy metabolism and grain yield in rice
Ludan Zhang, Pengfei Wang, Yue Li, Shuang Yang et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.06.007Translation-dependent retrograde signaling coordinates high-light acclimation in plants
Marten Moore, Aaron B. Smith, Melanie Wegener, Pravin B. Khambalkar et al.
2026-09 · DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2026.07.002Reviews
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April 20, 2025 at 3:32 pm
April 20, 2025